Signing Roger Clemens will vastly improve the Astros chances of repeating last year’s odyssey into the World Series, but will he get them there again?
By: Adam Bielamowicz
Category: Houston Astros
houston-astros
Houston Astros 2006 Outlook: Pitching
By Mark Cooper
[Part 1 of 2]
The Houston Astros have had a successful run the past few seasons. Last season the team went 89-73, and went to the World Series, only to be swept by the White Sox. The season before they came one game away from reaching the World Series, but they lost to the Cardinals. The key to these teams has been Roger Clemens, who joined the team prior to the 2004 year. His past two seasons have been phenomenal, especially for a guy his age. However, Houston could not resign him and that leaves a hole for a young pitcher to fill in 2006. Overall, the consensus is the Astros are worse this year, and that they won’t make the playoffs.
After two years of pitching in the shadow of Roger Clemens, Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt has shown this postseason why some consider him the Astros top starter.
The Houston Astros have all but locked up the Wild Card in the National League with a 2.5 game lead over the Phillies with only 5 games left to be played in the season. The team’s dominant pitching, stellar defense, and won’t quit attitude are going to lead them straight to the World Series.
Over the past couple of days several sportswriters have been taking great glee in predicting that the bruised and broken Astros are going to cut Hall-of-Fame-bound Craig Biggio at the end of this year to save some money in the name of rebuilding the team. And while it’s certainly true that Biggio has a $3M one-year extension that Astros management can buy their way out of for only $1M, thereby saving $2M and freeing up space for a “younger, healthier” player, I don’t think they should do it.